Starcrossed
by Arden Tenjou
Summary: Kakyoin was once Dio's loyal servant. He falls in love with Jotaro almost at first sight, but instantly realizes: his love can never be returned. Story of mutually unrequited love with non-cannon (better) ending. Yaoi. Dio x Kakyoin, Kakyoin x Polnaref, Polnaref x Kakyoin, Jotaro x Kakyoin.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Kakyoin. Come here."

Noriaki's conscious mind barely reacted to this request. He felt so far away. Nevertheless, his body willingly responded to his master's call. He crawled up Dio's beautiful, muscular body as he lay draped on a chaise in his Egyptian mansion. As always, being in close proximity to the vampire made Noriaki's body tremble with terror and excitement. When Dio grasped his chin, running his thumb along Noriaki's lower lip, the younger man ached all over, sighing into a puddle in Dio's arms.

Dio stroked his hair, soothing him from the feeling that had almost brought him to orgasm with almost no stimulation at all. "Kakyoin…are you listening?"

"Yes…Dio-sama…" Kakyoin murmured, twitching as he tried not to move against Dio's hard body, lest he feel the urge to cum again.

"This is important. I have a mission for you." Dio's hand snaked up Noriaki's back, but this time it was not in a sexual way. It was possessive, almost like being bitten. "When you return to Japan, you will find another stand user. Kujo Jotaro. Find out what you can about his stand, and if you can, kill him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dio-sama," Noriaki murmured, closing his eyes and nuzzling Dio's chest.

"Good." With barely a pause, and with the same cruel superiority that always imbued his serpentine voice, Dio intoned, "Then take off your clothes."

Noriaki tore himself away from Dio's embrace in order to peel off his clothing as the vampire watched without a change in his expression. When he stood totally naked before Dio's erotic gaze, Dio lightly caressed Noriaki's chest and ribs. Noriaki whimpered, his cock hardening.

"Turn around," Dio said.

Noriaki shivered, but obeyed. Dio's hand grasped the back of his neck and pushed him down over the rail of his balcony. Any of Dio's other servants in the mansion could have seen them from this angle over the courtyard, but Noriaki felt no shame. If anything, he felt a thrill at showing the others that Dio's current favorite was him.

To his shock, the next thing he felt was a thick tongue against his hole.

"Nnngh!" Noriaki cried, so close to cumming that his cock was dripping on the marble.

Dio's rippling arms grasped Noriaki tightly around his waist and he almost violently drove his tongue inside Noriaki's hole.

"Ahhh! Dio….sama!" Noriaki cried, disbelieving at the pleasure of having his prostate stimulated by his master's tongue. Only a few moments of this and his body couldn't take it. He whimpered as he came onto the floor stone floor.

Dio seemed aware of this but not to care. He did remove his tongue, but moments later, forced his thick and throbbing cock into Noriaki's trembling body. Noriaki almost passed out from the pleasure assaulting his mind. It should have been painful. Dio had never once stretched him before brutally fucking him. But the pleasure blocked out anything else, even his sense of right and wrong.

Drool leaked from the corner of Noriaki's mouth as Dio grasped him by the throat and pulled him up to whisper in his ear. "Before you pass out on me, give me a little of your vitality."

As his huge arms grasped Noriaki tightly around his chest and head, Dio's fanged mouth breathed softly against Noriaki's neck. Noriaki gasped as he felt he might cum again just from the anticipation. With a brief prick of pain, his master's fangs sank into his neck.

In the throes of wordless pleasure, Noriaki made strange noises as he came repeatedly while Dio's cock pressed against his prostate and he drank deeply of Noriaki's blood. By the time Dio drank his fill, Noriaki hung limply in his arms, exhausted from the double attack of cumming too hard and losing too much blood. Dio licked his neck of a few drops of blood, sending a shiver down Noriaki's nubile body.

"Still awake? Good boy," Dio whispered in his ear.

Noriaki's eyes fluttered. Though he wanted to please his master, there was no strength left in him. He could barely stand on his own. Fortunately, Dio did not seem bothered by this. He drew his cock from Noriaki's hole, which caused the poor boy to ache for him immediately, and let his limp body fall into his arms. Dio carried Noriaki to his bed chamber.

Once there, he draped Noriaki on his stomach on the edge of the bed, his hole at a perfect angle for Dio to attack it again. With Noriaki barely conscious, Dio once again thrust inside him. Noriaki moaned blearily, only able to concentrate on the feeling of Dio's cock driving through the deepest parts of him. He felt himself drooling hungrily on the bed.

After pounding him for several minutes at this angle, Dio turned him over, pulling Noriaki's legs on either side of his own hips and grasping the small of Noriaki's back in both his powerful hands. This time, his cock was able to drive even deeper. Noriaki yelped at being penetrated so deeply. But Dio mercilessly hammered him there, sending new waves of pleasure through the exhausted boy's body.

Dio leaned down to gather Noriaki's limp body in his arms and whisper in his ear again. "This body of yours likes sex too much to let you pass out. I knew I made a good choice."

To further drive Noriaki mad with pleasure, he possessively captured his lips in an intense kiss. Noriaki couldn't hold back anymore. Though there was nothing left in his balls, a dry orgasm hit him so hard he briefly forgot who he was. His whole body tensed, briefly unable to make the slightest sound. Then Dio thrust inside him once. Noriaki screamed against his lips; his orgasm was still going on. Without letting him rest for a moment, Dio repeatedly pounded the deepest point in Noriaki's body, kissing him and pawing all over his over-sensitized body.

Noriaki had very little memory of what happened after that, but he was aware that Dio kept fucking him until long after he lost consciousness. During the brief time that Noriaki spent in Egypt, this was a daily occurrence for him.

Later, although he tried not to recall what had happened, there was one thing that puzzled Noriaki about Dio's behavior at that time. Dio was cautious of course; that was one of the most fundamental pieces of his personality. Yet there were those among the vampires he had created whom he thought of as less than worms, and yet he had revealed his stand power to them. Toward Noriaki, he had not even revealed his weakness to sunlight. For some reason, Dio had not trusted Noriaki even when he had him under his complete control. On some level, had Dio predicted that Noriaki would be saved by Jotaro?

As Noriaki sat in Kujo Jotaro's home, watching his mother writhe in agony with the stand power Dio had caused, which he felt in no small part responsible for, he looked back on every interaction with Dio. Each one told him the same thing: besides Dio's sexual preferences, Noriaki knew nothing. He was useless to help Jotaro, whom he had fallen in love with almost the moment he first set eyes on him, regardless of Dio's sway over him.

In horror at his own weakness and his hand in causing Jotaro pain, Noriaki rested his head in his hand, fingers resting on the place Dio's flesh had once been.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Kujo Jotaro hated being admired. It was obvious. Any sort of fawning, compliments or even a sustained gaze would be met with utter disdain. Noriaki could tell the type of romantic partner he liked just by looking at him. Quiet, demure, traditional, and beautiful of course. Someone who would stand by his side patiently, and who would embrace him warmly when he was troubled. And of course, a woman.

However much he might try to fit that ideal – and he always fell short anyway – his gender was one thing that he couldn't change. Of course, neither could he change his feelings, no matter how hard he tried. On the contrary, the longer they were together, as they fought side by side on this journey, the more Noriaki felt something that he had not thought was possible. Beyond friendship. And even beyond love, or what he understood of it. A kind of sense of belonging, that without Jotaro, Noriaki wasn't complete anymore. And when his desire became too strong, he sought a safer release.

That first night in Singapore, Jojo had seemed unusually preoccupied looking at Noriaki after he got back. Noriaki had already heard the story, that he fought an enemy stand that had Noriaki's face. But at the time, he just felt extremely hot under his gaze. They each showered and got to bed.

Noriaki made it a point not to look as Jojo came out from the shower. He knew how irresistible Jojo would be with water dripping from the ends of his slightly curly hair, over the smooth muscles of his large, sculpted arms and chest. But as Jojo got out of the shower and lifted the sheets to get in, his scent wafted over to Noriaki as he was trying to calm down. He whirled away and tried calm his body down by wishing. At least wait until Jojo is asleep, he told himself.

After an agonizing wait, Jojo's rumbling breathing became heavy and even – which unfortunately for Noriaki only increased his desire – and he quietly slipped out of bed. He padded down the hall toward the other rooms in their group. He considered Abdul and Joseph's room, biting his lip after unintentionally imagining being with both of them. Abdul with his deep voice and hands that somehow seemed very capable and experienced, and Joseph with that mature charm and the same eyes and build as Jotaro. But there was always a chance with those two patriarchal do-gooders that one of them would lecture him instead of giving him what he wanted, and then answering this desire would be impossible.

Noriaki reached the next room over and placed his hand on the doorknob. His Hierophant slipped inside the lock and flipped it open for him. He quietly entered Pornaleff's room, closing the door behind him. The big Frenchman was sleeping peacefully, one muscular arm arced over his head in a relaxed posture. Noriaki decided the direct approach would be the most effective.

Noriaki unbuttoned his pajama shirt, letting it slip down to the floor as he walked. Beside it, the bottoms. Finally, his underwear. He crawled under the covers with Pornaleff, at first just appreciating the comforting sensation of another person's warmth and smell. Pornaleff had a very comfortable, high body temperature. He didn't smell bad, rather subtle and soapy, but he also didn't have the same musky animal smell as Jojo. Thinking of him drove up his desire again, and Noriaki ran his hand up Pornaleff's muscular thigh.

He was relieved as, after only a few moments of stroking, little Pornaleff became excited to see him. Noriaki let his other hand reach down to his own growing excitement. His mouth beginning to water now, he slid down to press his mouth onto Pornaleff's hardening cock. He slowly swallowed the whole length, deeply enjoying the sensation of being filled all the way to the back of his throat. He slid the warm, hard length in and out of his mouth, while stroking himself with one hand.

"Nh…" came Polnareff's voice, muffled by the blanket between them. "Abdul…" the Frenchman murmured blearily.

Noriaki stopped what he was doing to raise his eyebrows curiously. So Polnareff fantasized about Abdul. That was very interesting. And useful at this moment for Noriaki. He redoubled his efforts and slid Polnareff's cock as deep as he could.

"Ah!" came Polnareff's moan of pleasure and surprise. But as his whole body tensed, Noriaki was sure he was awake. "Oh fuck…wha-…?"

Polnareff pulled off the blanket. Noriaki tilted his gaze up coquettishly without taking Polnareff out of his mouth. As the Frenchman gazed at him with abject shock, Noriaki slowly swallowed his cock, pulled back, and swallowed again.

"Ka-…Kakyoin?" Polnareff squeaked in panic. "Wha…oh!" he twitched as Noriaki flicked the head with his tongue. Polnareff growled, trying to control himself, then attempted to push Noriaki back. "You…you're in high school! What are you doing to a grown man?"

Noriaki briefly removed Polnareff's cock from his mouth but continued stroking it. "Interesting. You're more concerned about my age than my gender."

"Ugh…" Polnareff moaned as Noriaki swirled his tongue around the head. "Give me…one thing to panic about…at a time!"

"But you clearly don't hate this, do you?" Noriaki confirmed, once again swallowing Polnareff's cock and this time running his hands up his satisfyingly muscular chest.

"Ah!" Polnareff cried, twitching as Noriaki's fingers ran over his nipples. Once he realized they were sensitive, Noriaki began squeezing Polnareff's pecs and alternately flicking his nipples as he continued sucking him off. The Frenchman was making very satisfying noises of pleasure though seemingly still halfheartedly trying to resist, his muscles now twitching and now relaxing.

"We can't…Kakyoin…I…like someone else!" Polnareff finally cried in desperation, hiding his face in his hands.

Noriaki reluctantly stopped what he was doing to look Polnareff in the eye. "So do I."

"Eh?" queried the surprised Frenchman.

Noriaki sighed. But with no intention to stop, he mounted Polnareff's waist, briefly indulging in rubbing their cocks together even as he directed Hierophant Green to begin teasing his asshole. He shuddered all over as the slippery tail wiggled inside him.

"Abdul-san…am I right?" he asked, slowly moving his hips against Polnareff's. Between his adorable twitching, the larger man watched Noriaki's sensual movements in fascination, his resistance clearly weakening. "Too bad. I think he's quite loyal to Joestar-san."

Polnareff whimpered and covered his eyes with his forearm. "Shut up. I know that."

"At least yours isn't straight," Noriaki murmured, mostly to himself.

Polnareff glanced up at him in surprise. "Jotaro?"

Noriaki felt his own jaw muscle tighten, but he forcefully kept any emotion out of his face. If he thought about his feelings any more than this, he would lose the desire to go through with this. "It doesn't matter," he muttered, sliding his hand down both their cocks and appreciating the twitch from Polnareff's. "What's important is that neither of them is here for us. So what's the harm if we comfort each other?"

"Kakyoin, listen…all the other objections aside, the thing is…"

Noriaki let out a soft moan as Hierophant flicked against his prostate. "What?" he muttered, not really concerned.

Polnareff blushed and looked away. "I'm…a bottom…"

That finally stopped Noriaki in his tracks. "Eh?" was all he was able to squawk out.

"I, uh…I mean, it's not impossible for me to top, it's just…I tend to get carried away feeling good. I make a lot of noise and don't move much on my own…I definitely can't be a macho brute like Jotaro. So if that's what you want…won't you be disappointed?"

But if anything, this had the opposite effect on Noriaki. "You make a lot of noise?" he asked, allowing Hierophant to slip out of him as he squared his hips above Polnareff's twitching cock.

Polnareff nodded, hiding his face in his hands once again. "It's gross, right? Someone as buff as me moaning like a virgin…"

Noriaki shivered all over. In one of his many fantasies, he had imagined dominating Jotaro and making his low voice resound with pleasure. There was no way he was about to stop now. He lined up Polnareff's cock with his hole and slowly slid down onto it.

"Ah…ah…" Polnareff moaned, staring at the place where their bodies intersected. "Kakyoin…wait…ah!"

Noriaki shuddered, getting used to the sensation of Polnareff's thick cock inside him. Its girth was a little more than he had prepared for, causing a few twinges of discomfort. But it was so satisfying to be filled this way. It wasn't Noriaki's first time of course, but it was his first relief since he started fantasizing about Jotaro.

"Polnareff…or maybe I should call you Jean?" Noriaki inquired, running his hands up Polnareff's twitching stomach muscles.

"Nnn!" Polnareff whimpered, turning away and biting down on his own knuckle. His brutish face was flushed and aching with desire, giving Noriaki wonderful sensations just by watching him.

"There's something I've been holding back from asking. I know it was a painful memory for both of us," Noriaki went on softly, as they both grew used to the sensation of being connected. "But when you were serving Dio…did he fuck you?"

Polnareff shivered. But to Noriaki's surprise, he shook his head.

"What?"

"I know…he did that to others…heh," Polnareff let out a self-deprecating laugh, though there was pain in the depths of his eyes. "I guess I wasn't his type. I'm not yours either, right? Maybe I'm not anybody's. Guess I should count myself lucky even to be used this way."

Although it was a shock to Noriaki that Dio didn't do that to all his servants, and also that anyone wouldn't be attracted to Polnareff in spite of his rather troublesome personality, he was overcome with compassion at that moment. He certainly didn't hate Polnareff. He found him funny and reliable in a pinch, as well as comfortable to be around. The hair wasn't necessarily his thing, but as he got used to it he started to think of it as an extension of Polnareff's flamboyant personality, and he came to like it. And the idea that Polnareff had no confidence in his looks, which were 90% of the reason that Noriaki had chosen him, made Noriaki almost a little insulted.

Noriaki sighed. Even as the movement inside him sent shivers of pleasure down his spine, he leaned down and rested his weight on Polnareff's chest. Polnareff let out a satisfying moan as he did this. Noriaki carefully caressed Polnareff's rugged, surprised face and felt even more affection for him.

"It's too bad I'm doing this backward," Noriaki muttered to himself.

"Huh?" Polnareff squeaked, confused.

Noriaki chuckled. "Then again, it's better to have all the cards on the table at the start, isn't it? Jean," he said gently. "I may not be in love with you now. But if you had asked me to go out with you, I would have said yes."

"Eh?" Polnareff's gruff face lit up with a blush that extended from his ears almost to his hair line.

"We both like someone else. Someone unattainable. But I'm happy being with you. And I'm excited to learn more about this beautiful body," Noriaki murmured, running his hands over Polnareff's pecs and squeezing them.

"Ah!" Polnareff cried, arching his back. Noriaki shuddered as he felt his cock twitch inside him.

"So as I say, it's a bit backward, but would you like to go out with me?"

Polnareff's breath was coming hard and his eyes were tearing up as he watched Noriaki with disbelief. "Kakyoin…" he murmured.

Noriaki couldn't resist anymore and gave in to his desire to sweetly kiss this meek giant. Electricity ran up his spine as Polnareff moaned against his lips. Polnareff's lips were soft and inviting, and if he hadn't already been inside him, Noriaki would have wanted to make moans drip out of those lips from being pleasured by his cock.

"Hah…" Polnareff gasped as their lips parted.

"Jean," he repeated, subtly encouraging Polnareff to call him by his name too. "Which is it? Do you want to go out with me?"

Polnareff shivered and watched Noriaki with fascination. His expression was so moved and trusting that it made Noriaki want to care for him. He nodded a little. "Yes…" he whispered.

Noriaki couldn't help a shuddering moan that escaped him, and he began moving his hips to grind Polnareff's cock against his prostate. "Jean…you feel so good…"

Polnareff yelped, covering his face. "Kakyoin…don't rile me up…"

"I can't help it…it's hitting me in all the right places…" Noriaki moaned, thrusting his hips against Polnareff's. "Jean…here…steady me…"

He took Polnareff's large hands in his own and placed them on his hips. At first, true to Polnareff's word, he moaned and barely embraced Noriaki as he bounced on his dick. But as Noriaki began to increase the pace in excitement, Polnareff's hands tightened on Noriaki's thighs. Noriaki shivered in pleasure and looked down as Polnareff moaned and then began slamming his hips up against Noriaki's from below.

"Ahh…" Noriaki cried, heat flooding through his body. Polnareff was still moaning in a very feminine way, but his cock was slamming against Noriaki's prostate as his powerful hands held him in place by his thighs. Though he didn't want to compare the two, he'd never felt so excited during sex with Dio. "Jean…" he cried. "Say my name…"

"N-…Noriaki…!" Polnareff cried, arching his back even as he continued pounding Noriaki.

"Jean!" Noriaki felt his vision go fuzzy as heat and pleasure ran through him. He grasped Polnareff's thick and rippling arms even as Polnareff's fingers dug passionately into his thighs. "Ah…"

Normally, Noriaki liked to excite his partners by using word play, either by begging and moaning while a bottom or lustily commenting while a top. But his excitement level right now was far too high. He hadn't expected Polnareff to be this sweet, or his cock to feel so good. Every time it struck the deepest part of him, Noriaki lost all presence of mind, even to moan about how good it was. Wordless cries rose from him until Polnareff's arms suddenly surrounded him.

Polnareff pulled Noriaki down and held him so tightly against his large chest that it was difficult to breathe. This new angle caused Noriaki to twitch with pleasure as the pressure against his prostate increased. He couldn't take much more of this. But as Polnareff's voice rose up in desperate pleasure, and the pace of his hips increased, Noriaki could tell he was close too.

"Nnngh!" Polnareff moaned, his hips driving one last time hard into Noriaki's deepest point. He remained there, twitching, as half gasps poured out of him.

Noriaki's insides were flooded with warmth. He only had the thought, this was too exciting, he had to cum now, and reached his hand down to touch himself. But he came the moment his fingers touched his cock. And as Polnareff squeezed him tight and continued pumping cum inside him, he kept cumming too.

It took a long time for the two of them to come down from this feeling. When Noriaki had the presence of mind, he realized he couldn't stay here much longer even if he wanted to.

Though he made no move to disengage himself from Polnareff's comforting embrace, he murmured reluctantly, "I should go soon. There's a chance Jotaro could wake up and wonder where I am."

Polnareff chuckled. "You don't want to try and make him jealous?"

Noriaki rolled his eyes. "He'd sooner be jealous of a rat being bitten by a flea." Instead of moving to leave though, he snuggled up against Polnareff's warm chest. "I'll leave by and by."

Polnareff's large arms encircled him and stroked his hair. "I won't kick you out."

Noriaki felt so blissful in this moment, he truly almost forgot he was in love with someone else. Even as he felt supremely comforted in Polnareff's arms, negative feelings began to swirl up inside him. Guilt that as sweet as Polnareff was, Noriaki's feelings for Jotaro weren't likely to change. Guilt that he was somehow betraying Jotaro by doing this, even though he was sure Jotaro couldn't give a fuck. A sting of pain at the thought that, even though he was being so kind to him, Polnareff didn't love him either. And yet in the middle of all these insecurities, Noriaki clung to Polnareff even more tightly. He didn't know what would happen tomorrow, but for this moment, he wanted to drag this happiness out as long as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Polnareff was incredibly cute. If Noriaki ever casually brushed his hand as they walked, or leaned on him while they were sitting together on some form of transport, his face would go red and he would look away innocently. As they walked through the city of Calcutta, Noriaki got an urge to see him even more embarrassed.

As he walked beside Polnareff, Noriaki subtly slipped his hand inside Polnareff's just for a moment to get his attention. "Jean," he murmured softly. When Polnareff blushed and looked down at him, Noriaki nodded toward a dark alley nearby. "Come over here for a minute."

Polnareff flushed and bit his lip, glancing ahead at Jotaro and the others. But he followed Noriaki as he ducked out of the flow of foot traffic and into the relatively dark and quiet alley. Noriaki glanced over his shoulder; as he thought, from this angle they were mostly hidden from passersby.

"Wh-…what is it…Noriaki?" Polnareff asked him as soon as they were away from the hustle and bustle, his eyes shifting with embarrassment at saying Noriaki's name during the day.

Noriaki smiled warmly and sidled up to his lover, close enough to share his warmth. "I wanted to touch you," Noriaki whispered in his ear.

"Ah…eh…?" Polnareff scrambled to keep up as Noriaki caressed his chest over his clothes. But he couldn't stop a moan as Noriaki's hand squeezed down on his pec. "Nh…Kakyoin…you can't…someone might see…"

Noriaki gently tilted Polnareff's chin to give him access to his neck and began kissing him there, causing the larger man to shiver and twitch. "I'm sorry. You were just so cute earlier." With his lips brushing against Polnareff's ear, he whispered, "I think no one will notice from this angle if we're quiet. Will you bear with me a little?"

Polnareff whimpered, but Noriaki could see his hips shifting on their own as his pants grew tighter. "Don't be crazy…you know what I'm like!"

Noriaki reluctantly stopped what he was doing to consider this. "Ah. You have a point. Well then." Noriaki produced Hierophant Green, and with his tentacle, lightly caressed Polnareff's lips. "Perhaps this is a good opportunity to try something new."

Polnareff seemed unsure, but he quickly melted with pleasure as Noriaki inserted Hierophant's tentacle inside his mouth and began to play with his tongue. Seeming to enjoy this, Polnareff closed his lips around the tentacle and lightly sucked it, which lit a fire in Noriaki.

"Jean," he said gently, although his heart was pounding in his ears. "I swear my Hierophant will not hurt you, no matter what. Will you let me gag you?" Noriaki asked, even as he slid one leg between Polnareff's and pulled him closer by the small of his back.

"Nnhh…" Polnareff moaned, his eyes fluttering as the tentacle moved inside his mouth. His eyes, with trembling lashes, met Noriaki's pleadingly. His lips parted and he murmured softly, "Yes…"

Noriaki smiled. He gradually slid more and more coiled lengths of Hierophant Green's body inside Polnareff's mouth, all while running his hands over Polnareff's ample ass. Polnareff's hips bucked and his eyes rolled back, moans being more and more muffled as his mouth became full. Finally, as he struggled to make noise anymore, Noriaki kissed him on the cheek.

"I want to do it facing you, but I don't think I can hold you up. Will you turn around?"

Polnareff's hips jerked and his back arched at even being asked that question. Noriaki had never put it in him before. He could tell, Polnareff had been wanting him to do this since the first time, and he wasn't about to say no. Sure enough, though he was trembling with excitement and his twitching hard cock forming a wet spot in his trousers, Polnareff turned his back, placing his hands on the wall behind him. He half turned his head, looking back at Noriaki plaintively.

Noriaki drank in the sight of Polnareff's large, muscular body laid out before him like a delicious meal. His hands, splayed on the wall, were trembling. With the heightened pace of his breathing, his traps and lat muscles rippled. His firm, curvy ass was pert and ready, though his hips were trembling too. He looked hesitantly back at Noriaki, his blush so severe it was almost making him tear up. Through Heirophant, Noriaki could also feel the inside of Polnareff's mouth as he began to salivate in hunger to be fucked.

Noriaki briefly hugged him and kissed his cheek. Polnareff whimpered, his hips bucking against Noriaki's. In his ear, Noriaki murmured, "If Abdul-san doesn't want you, he's a fool. I pity anyone who isn't lucky enough to be with you like this."

"Mmnh…" Polnareff moaned, a tear dripping down his face.

Noriaki kissed it.

In that moment, he felt a strange mix of elation and guilt. Part of him still considered this arrangement with Polnareff temporary. He had no practical hopes with Jotaro, but that didn't stop his irrational, lovesick teenage mind from hoping anyway. He knew Polnareff loved someone else too. But even so, how cruel of him not to allow the possibility of something more with him. Just now, as he held Polnareff in his arms and kissed away his insecurities, he felt something more.

He ran his hands down Polnareff's rippling back muscles. Polnareff's cries were drowned out in Hierophant's body, every vibration of which reached Noriaki. He pulled down Polnareff's trousers and as his heartbeat increased, he took in the sight of Polnareff's twitching hole.

"You're very fastidious, aren't you?" Noriaki commented absently. Then without hesitation, he licked Polnareff's hole.

"NNGH!" Polnareff cried, his knees buckling.

Noriaki hugged him around his hips to keep him steady and gently opened up his hole with his tongue. But Polnareff was wiggling like a cat in the bath. Each movement of Noriaki's tongue send gyrations through his body, and his moaning sent electric pleasure up Noriaki's spine. Next time, Noriaki told himself, it would be good to try some bondage so he couldn't move around so much. But for now, he did his best to open up Polnareff's twitching hole.

When he felt he couldn't do any more with his tongue, he inserted two fingers into his own mouth and moistened them. Once ready, he inserted one and then the other into Polnareff's hole. After a moment of resistance, Polnareff seemed to clamp down on Noriaki's fingers and pull them in further. His moans were growing less panicked and more pleasurable, though his hips were still twitching like a newborn colt.

Noriaki dragged his fingers in and out until they moved smoothly, then added a third. Polnareff hunched in on himself and made no noise for a moment, and Noriaki was aware that that had hurt him. He stopped moving his fingers. He bent down again, pressing kisses on Polnareff's ass and the small of his back, and reached one hand around to run just the tip of his finger up Polnareff's cock.

"Ngh!" Polnareff yelped, his back arching.

Noriaki teased him by repeatedly tapping the tip of his cock lightly with his fingertip. Polnareff's moaning became high-pitched and desperate, and soon Noriaki's finger came away dripping with precum. By now, the fingers of Noriaki's hand had slid deeper inside Polnareff. He began wiggling them there, searching for Polnareff's prostate.

After no more than a few seconds of this, Polnareff's body tensed and a strangled moan was swallowed up by Hierophant. Noriaki's hand came away from Polnareff's cock draped with cum. Polnareff slid a little down the wall, clearly exhausted.

"I'm sorry," Noriaki said, holding him around his chest with one hand and rubbing his cum along his own cock with the other. "I didn't mean to make you cum so fast. Can I continue?"

Polnareff hid his face in the crook of his arm, but nodded quickly.

Noriaki pressed the tip of his cock to Polnareff's hole. Both men shuddered at the sensation of it slowly sliding inside. Noriaki's mind was briefly overcome by the sensation of being swallowed up so tightly. By the time his hips bumped against Polnareff's, he was breathing in ragged pants. He had to close his eyes and concentrate for a moment to avoid cumming immediately.

Once he had some presence of mind again, he glanced up at Polnareff. There was some concern between the Frenchman's brows, as if he wasn't sure if he was feeling pleasure or pain. Noriaki hugged him again.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Polnareff looked back at him pleadingly, but Noriaki couldn't tell if this was good or bad. He decided he had to remove the gag and began unraveling Hierophant's coil inside Polnareff's mouth. To his shock, Polnareff grabbed onto Hierophant's tentacle to prevent it from leaving his mouth. As his lustful eyes glanced back at Noriaki, he lowered his hand to curve around Noriaki's ass. He squeezed.

Noriaki gasped, inadvertently thrusting deeper inside Polnareff. Both men moaned. But Polnareff's fingers remained firmly squeezing Noriaki's ass, encouraging him even deeper. That was all the encouragement Noriaki needed.

Although all he wanted to do at that moment was roughly pound his ass, Noriaki grasped Polnareff tightly around the chest, preventing his own movement as his hips began to pump inside the larger man, quite independently of his will. With a deep moan of satisfaction, Polnareff returned his hand to the wall and instead let his hips buck back against Noriaki's with each thrust.

It felt so good to be holding Ponareff's buff body while gently pumping inside him. Noriaki moved his arms to grasp Polnareff under his shoulders, arching his back and tightening the angle inside him. Polnareff's moans once again grew desperate, leaking out of him in time with Noriaki's thrusting. As Polnareff grew more and more weak to the pleasure Noriaki was giving him, his hands slid further down the wall.

Noriaki covered Polnareff's hands with his own, overcome with a desire to make this erotic man cum from his cock. Finally, he gave in to his need to pound into Polnareff passionately.

"Nnnngh!" Polnareff cried, and Noriaki felt his hole twitching around him.

Noriaki panted loudly as he thrust with all his strength into Polnareff's ass. It was as if his chains had been set loose, and it was only then – although he really should have noticed by how excited he got when he gagged Polnareff – that he realized he probably had a slightly sadistic streak. He didn't want to see Polnareff in pain, but the idea of totally dominating this muscle-bound man until he lost consciousness with pleasure made Noriaki's brain threaten to explode.

He aimed directly for Polnareff's prostate as he felt his own orgasm building. Drool was leaking around Hierophant's gag as Polnareff's eyes rolled back and his body convulsed with pleasure. Finally, Noriaki once again grasped Polnareff across his chest and arched his back to maximize the pressure inside him as began to pump cum inside him.

Although Noriaki's vision briefly went blurry with the intensity of his own orgasm, with Polnareff's back arched against him he was able to see the larger man's cock bouncing as it let out a dilute stream of cum. As the pleasure slowly faded, Noriaki affectionately kissed and held Polnareff. He slowly removed Hierophant from his mouth.

Even though he was still inside him, Noriaki immediately felt guilty for fucking him this hard in a public place, for what might have been Polnareff's first time for all he knew. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to go that far…are you all right?"

Polnareff seemed a bit dazed. He didn't respond for a moment. Slowly, he nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Rather than respond, Polnareff looked back at Noriaki. He bit his lip, looking somewhat embarrassed. But apparently he was able to overcome it, because he drew Noriaki's chin closer with two fingers.

"Noriaki…before we go back…can you go one more time?"

Noriaki had still been hard when Polnareff said that, but as soon as he heard the words he wondered if his boner would go down any time today. Quickly, he stuffed Hierophant back inside Polnareff's mouth. Without waiting for any further encouragement, he thrust inside the slick walls of Polnareff's hole, which now felt even more pleasurable slick with cum. Polnareff yelped with unexpected pleasure and convulsed as he slid down the wall. Noriaki used Hierophant's tentacle to bind Polnareff's hands and lift them up over his head, restricting his movement.

Fortunately for both of them, the second run was so passionate that both were satisfied enough to return to their mission – and the rest of their group, who had already begun to worry about them. What neither of them had considered, when they imagined the possibility that the others might come looking for them, and would only notice if they made noise, was that Star Platinum – even at extreme distances – had incredibly good vision.


	4. Chapter 4

WARNING: Stardust Crusaders spoilers ahead! (also underage smoking, but to be fair, that part is canon)

Chapter Four

When Noriaki and Polnareff joined the others at the restaurant, Noriaki paid no attention to the fact that Jotaro was sitting with his hat casting his eyes in shadow, not moving at all. That wasn't at all out of character for him, so there was no reason to. Polnareff playfully left his request to get something "he would like" and Noriaki hid his smile as he perused the menu in his absence. Everything seemed to be going well for their group, which is of course the most likely time for fate to throw a curve ball.

The day they battled Hol Horse and J. Geil was possibly the worst in Noriaki's life. Even after the difficult battles, and after Polnareff took his revenge, Noriaki left that town shaken to his core. Abdul-san was dead. It wasn't just the shock of it either. The thought of continuing on this journey, in which more or even all of them might die, filled him with dread. He didn't want to imagine how Polnareff was feeling now.

They left Calcutta on a train after Joseph and Jotaro had made arrangements for Abdul-san. Polnareff seemed to be managing all right, but neither he nor Noriaki were able to properly look at one another. Without vocalizing it, they were both feeling the same twinge of somewhat misguided guilt that they had been trying to find happiness when any one of them could die at any moment.

At one point, Noriaki left the compartment to use the restroom. Jotaro followed without his noticing. When he emerged, Jotaro was waiting for him in the corridor.

Noriaki blinked, unable to think of a reason why Jotaro would have cornered him like this. "Oh…sorry, Jotaro. Go ahead," he said, leaving the door open.

"Kakyoin," said Jotaro, with an unusual stiffness. Noriaki realized then he had clearly not been waiting to use the restroom. He opened his mouth once and closed it again, apparently losing whatever words he'd been searching for. Noriaki cocked his head in confusion at this behavior. "We have to talk," he said at last.

Noriaki took this seriously; whatever it was, everything that had just happened was hard for Jotaro. He would never normally go out of his way to have a conversation, especially a private one. It had to be something that was both important and not at all good. A feeling of dread rose up that Jotaro might somehow have discovered his feelings, but he reassured himself that that was impossible. He nodded hesitantly.

"All right," he said, grasping his opposite arm in a self-comforting gesture without realizing. "Is something troubling you?"

Jotaro shook his head. His jaw muscles twitched as if what he had to say next was even more repugnant to him than this private meeting in the first place. Eventually he grumbled out, "Look. I don't need a long explanation. I just want you to tell me you're not fucking around."

"What…?" Noriaki recoiled at this sudden aggression in the man who rarely even showed overt anger toward enemies.

Jotaro's dark, rumbling gaze turned on him, and Noriaki suddenly felt like a gazelle trapped in the grip of a tiger. "My mother is on the verge of death. You do remember that, right?"

"Of course…" Noriaki stumbled. "Jotaro, I'm sorry, I don't know what you're getting at…"

The displeasure on Jotaro's face only darkened further, but he held back from saying whatever he was thinking. He folded his arms silently, and when he spoke again his voice was more controlled. "I'm not about to tell you who to fuck. But I am when you put the rest of our lives in danger because of it."

All the air left Noriaki's lungs. He couldn't steady himself, and collapsed back against the door, clutching his chest and struggling to draw breath. Jotaro knew. Not about his feelings, but about something he was even more ashamed of. Somehow, he knew about Noriaki and Polnareff. This was a nightmare.

"If you're serious, fuck whoever you want," Jotaro went on, some of his normal emotionless expression restored. "But if you jeopardize this mission by thinking with your dick, I'll cut it off. Are we clear?"

Noriaki couldn't respond at first. And when he could it was only to nod numbly.

Jotaro accepted this with a nod himself. He lit up a cigarette as if the encounter had been stressful for him too and took a long drag as he and Noriaki stood there in tense silence. He followed this horrible exchange with the completely incongruous, "One more thing. Abdul's not dead."

"Abdul-san is alive?!" Noriaki hissed.

Jotaro let out a river of smoke from his lips. "The bullet only grazed him apparently. Lucky he was looking down at J. Geil as he stabbed him, otherwise the angle wouldn't have protected him. The old man and I took him to a hospital and he's recovering."

Noriaki closed his eyes to let relief and surprise roll over him. But they quickly widened again. "Oh god…have you told Polnareff?"

Jotaro eyed Noriaki with as much warmth as if he'd just spit up on himself. "No."

"Then I will," Noriaki said, moving toward the door to the compartment without thinking. "He has to know."

Jotaro slammed his arm across the corridor, blocking Noriaki's way. Noriaki tried desperately not to be intoxicated by his proximity. The larger man growled, "Kakyoin. Abdul is still unconscious and there's no one who can protect him right now. We don't want anyone unnecessary to know that he's alive."

"Unnecessary?!" Kakyoin barked back, shocked by Jotaro's cruelty toward Polnareff. "How dare you? You know as well as I do, out of all of us Polnareff is the one who was most hurt and most blames himself for what happened!"

"I do. But I also know Polnareff."

Noriaki shook his head, still in bitter disbelief. "If you mean our enemies may use torture or the flesh buds to extract that kind of information from us, Polnareff is no different from you or I. If he has any will at all in the matter, he'd never reveal Abdul-san's status or location."

"I'm not even talking about torture," Jotaro replied, grimly but with less anger in his tone than before. "Polnareff is many things, but demure is not one of them. How do you rate his ability to hide his emotions?"

Noriaki paled. Though it pained him to admit it, and while he was certain Polnareff would gladly lay down his life to protect a friend, he was not a person who could conceal how they were feeling no matter how hard he tried. This openness and purity was one of the many things Noriaki loved about Polnareff. But for Abdul-san…it was deadly.

"Next to none," Noriaki answered softly.

Jotaro nodded. "Dio knows it, too. Polnareff's honest grief is our enemy's greatest proof that Abdul is really dead."

Noriaki still looked away bitterly, refusing to meet Jotaro's gaze. "I hope I don't have reason to be so useful to you in the future," he muttered accusingly. This time he brushed past Jotaro to go into the compartment whether he wanted to stop him or not. As he did he added, "What poor company a good man like Polnareff has found in us."

Jotaro merely took another drag of his cigarette, letting that hang without argument.

When they reached the next town and checked into a hotel, Noriaki gave in to the desire to see Polnareff. Or rather, his guilt over not comforting him publicly. He knocked on the door. It took a moment for Polnareff to let him in. When he did his expression was normal but there was redness under his eyes.

"Oh, Kakyoin," he said with an empty smile. "What's up?"

In that moment, in the casual way Polnareff had greeted him, now when they were alone and should have things to talk about, Noriaki felt a splash of cold water over him. It was as if nothing had happened between them. After that horrible talk with Jotaro, in which the very subject of Polnareff being unable to hide his feelings had come up, Noriaki couldn't doubt that this disinterest was real. In that simple phrase, Noriaki's heart felt painfully squeezed, and the heartbreaking thought occurred to him: did Polnareff not want him anymore?

Somewhat set aback by Polnareff's casual attitude, Noriaki took a moment to steady himself before answering. "I…" he said softly. "…came to see if you wanted company. But I can go if…"

He trailed off as Polnareff's empty expression morphed before his eyes into a tortured, ugly-crying face. Without a word, Polnareff grabbed him by the fabric of his uniform, pulled him inside and hugged him as the door closed behind them. Beyond the relief that Polnareff hadn't lost interest in him, and the pleasant feeling of being held by him, a trickle of guilt rose up as Noriaki agonized over not telling Polnareff that Abdul was alive. Partly to console Polnareff and partly himself, Noriaki stroked his broad, muscular back gently.

"You did very well today," Noriaki told him. "Much better than I would have."

Polnareff sniffed. "You don't think Jotaro or the old man noticed?"

"No," Noriaki said, with more or less honesty. All other things aside, he didn't think Jotaro or Joestar-san had guessed Polnareff's true feelings for Abdul. But as much as his whole heart wanted to comfort Polnareff at this moment, there was something that was getting harder and harder to ignore.

"Um…Polnareff. Are you hard?"

Polnareff sobbed a little. "I'm really glad you came to see me."

"Apparently."

He shook his head a little. "Don't worry about it. It's not sexual, I really am just happy you're here," Polnareff said, and in such a plaintive tone that Noriaki almost believed him.

Noriaki chuckled, holding Polnareff a little closer. "Well. We don't have to do anything if you don't want to. But there is such a thing as 'sexual healing.' Does that sound nice?"

Polnareff's great arms tightened around Noriaki's body, his hips whether consciously or not pushing harder against Noriaki's. "Kakyoin…" he whimpered.

Noriaki nodded against his chest, beginning to feel the same heat and desire for physical comfort that Polnareff clearly was. Into his ear, he asked him, "Which do you want today?"

"I want to be held by you," Polnareff said, nuzzling against him sweetly. "Touch me all over, Kakyoin. Hold me so tight I can't breathe."

Noriaki's higher functions promptly shut down, blood rushing to the center of his body at that sweet request. He slid his hands up Polnareff's back, pulling back slightly from his embrace to clasp his face in both hands and indulge in a deep kiss. As always, Polnareff's manly voice let out numerous cute noises as Noriaki kissed or touched him.

Noriaki called up Hierophant Green, who kindly removed Polnareff of most of his clothing as Noriaki continued kissing him. In his human form, Noriaki had Hierophant hold Polnareff steady around his chest as Noriaki got to his knees and took Polnareff deep into his mouth. He enjoyed doing this anyway, but most of all he wanted Polnareff to feel safe and loved tonight. He glanced up now and then to make sure Polnareff was feeling only good things.

To Noriaki's surprise, though he still made noise, Polnareff seemed far less embarrassed than usual. His voice was soft and full of desire, rather than loud and full of pleasure. His eyes were closed and he leaned against Hierophant, biting his lip as his lower half twitched and shivered under Noriaki's touch. This difference excited Noriaki and he began stroking himself as he tried to draw Polnareff even deeper.

"Ah! Kakyoin…stop…" Polnareff said, panting and lightly pushing Noriaki's head back. "I don't want to cum by myself."

Noriaki smiled. "I know. You're a sweet person."

Polnareff blushed and looked away. "Shut up."

That night, Noriaki and Hierophant Green together made Polnareff cum until he was utterly drained, and finally fell asleep in his arms. But even though Noriaki was truly coming to care about Polnareff, at every dull moment the memory of Jotaro's disapproval haunted him. It wasn't just the anger. There had been disgust in his face. Noriaki could tell very easily from Jotaro's personality that he was a some degree of homophobic to begin with, but clearly the very idea of a friend being gay was enough to disgust him. Realizing no good could come from dwelling on that, Noriaki forced himself, for now, to focus on Polnareff's needs.

The next morning, Noriaki got the worst kind of awakening. He blinked blearily in the soft morning light, nuzzling up to Polnareff. And then a familiar, echoing voice.

"Ora."

Noriaki went stiff from head to toe, eyes wide open and all traces of sleep blown away. Sure enough, standing over their bed was Jotaro's frightening stand, Star Platinum. Even though he had faced him in battle before, Noriaki never realized until that moment exactly how terrifying Star Platinum could be. As he struggled for words, an excuse or an explanation, Star Platinum gave him one hard stare before simply turning and leaving the room to return to his master. Star Platinum was a short range stand. That meant that the only place Jotaro could be was on the other side of the door. Noriaki swallowed a sick feeling that rose up in his throat. He got dressed and followed Star Platinum.

Jotaro was indeed standing outside the door, not seeming at all surprised to see Noriaki emerge from Polnareff's room. For a few, tense moments, neither of them said anything. Finally, it was Jotaro who broke the silence.

"You couldn't even keep it in your pants for one day," he said darkly.

Noriaki's heart felt physically stabbed. "Jotaro…" he murmured. "Listen…it was all me. Polnareff would never have done anything with me if I hadn't approached him."

"I know that," Jotaro said, properly looking at Noriaki for the first time today. There was no malice in his words but the conviction with which he said them cut Noriaki deeply. "For one thing, because the walls are thin and you two have no discretion. But I know Polnareff would never sleep with a friend casually. He's in love with you."

In spite of the situation, Noriaki's face lit up with color. His lips parted as he considered that, an idea which in spite of their closeness had never occurred to him. He knew how hard Polnareff had taken Abdul's death, so he assumed there was no room for him. But what if that changed? What if Polnareff's feelings could shift toward him? As he considered this possibility, Noriaki's chest felt full to bursting with conflicting emotions. Pure happiness at the idea of being loved by someone as sweet and honorable as Polnareff, and deep guilt at the thought that he wasn't sure he could return that emotion.

Reflexively, and partly in self-defense, Noriaki murmured, "That couldn't be. He…he's with me because he's pining for someone else."

"Oh? Sure you're talking about him and not you?"

Noriaki's heart stopped. He gazed up at Jotaro in terror. In truth, the more he was cornered this way by Jotaro, the more the terror of his feelings being discovered rose. _Jotaro hates me_ , the thought kept circling inside his brain. _If he found out I love him, he would be disgusted. He'd never treat me the same again. He might send me back to Japan. He might attack me. What should I do?_

But in Noriaki's panic, he failed to realize it was only a hunch on Jotaro's part, and he never considered Noriaki's unrequited love could be himself. "This is why I have a problem," Jotaro continued. "Love is always an unnecessary distraction. At the best of times. But you're fucking someone you don't love. Someone innocent. Can you make any promises that you won't hurt him?"

Noriaki's immediate response was that of course he wouldn't hurt Polnareff. In a vacuum, he told himself, he could never do that. And yet, faced with the one he truly wanted, his heart split in two as the soft voice in his head murmured, _I'd hurt him for you._

Without knowing the specifics, Jotaro observed the answer painted on Noriaki's face. "You don't love him, do you? Could you even?"

As the knives of guilt drove deeper into the center of his chest, Noriaki was unable to come up with an answer that didn't tear him apart. Without being able to put it into words, Noriaki's thoughts continued to swirl. _I do love him. I love Polnareff. I'd do anything for him. But I'll never feel for him the way I feel for you, Jotaro_. All of this passed in silence, Noriaki's eyes beginning to sting as he was unable to meet the gaze of the one he loved, who was clearly growing to hate him with every passing moment.

Jotaro's eyes darkened with anger. With that, he pushed off the wall and began to leave. Over his shoulder he muttered, "You can room with the old man at the next stop. Polnareff will room with me from now on."

Noriaki couldn't say a word against this. While part of him was outraged and saddened that he and Polnareff should be denied this small happiness they had found with each other, the greater part agreed completely with Jotaro's assessment.

Noriaki truly cared for Polnareff. If he had never met Jotaro, he might have fallen in love with him. But when confronted by Jotaro, the one who thrilled him every time he walked into a room, the one who was last on his mind when he went to sleep and first when he woke up in the morning, he knew that whatever he felt for Polnareff it would never be that. And that meant that what he was doing now, allowing Polnareff to become comfortable with him and even develop feelings for him, was cruel. Because Noriaki's heart would always be elsewhere.

Noriaki sank back against the wall with his head in his hand, momentarily unable to do anything but wallow in his own pain. He could not know that on the other side of it, having heard the better part of this short conversation with Jotaro, the object of his affection and shame was doing the same.


	5. Chapter 5

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead! If you haven't finished the Stardust Crusaders arc, go no further!

Chapter Five

Jotaro sat with his arms folded, head down and arms crossed in irritation from being unable to smoke. Normally he didn't care about where it was acceptable to do so, but a hospital really was off limits even for him. As he sat there in the depths of an abominable mood, he recounted the events that had led him to his current situation, sitting across from a possibly blinded Kakyoin.

Things had been tense with Kakyoin ever since Jotaro had forcibly separated him from Polnareff. He hadn't felt good about that, but he felt he had no choice. Not just to protect Polnareff's feelings, but to stop Kakyoin from making a mistake in battle that might cost him his life. He was the type to sacrifice himself over misguided feelings of guilt. Jotaro failed to realize, in his poor self-assessment, that he was the source of at least part of Kakyoin's guilt.

He had hardly observed the two speaking to each other on the rest of their journey through India. When they went to meet Abdul, and Polnareff discovered that everyone – Kakyoin included – had been lying to him, he had been apoplectic. He appeared to forgive Jotaro and Joseph after a while. But when Kakyoin later tried to apologize privately – a scene which Jotaro unintentionally overheard – Polnareff refused hear him out.

Even now, with Kakyoin in this state, Polnareff had rejected Jotaro's suggestion that he go ahead of the others to have a few minutes to talk to him privately. Jotaro had come in his place. And Kakyoin was currently taking the news of that circumstance.

"I see," he said with typical grace, hands folded in his lap and no visible emotion on his face.

The bandages over his eyes made him seem even more fragile and ethereal than usual. Though he thought it was too obvious to require stating out loud, Kakyoin was one of the most beautiful people Jotaro had ever seen. That, in combination with the two scenes between Kakyoin and Polnareff, had caused Jotaro to have more than a few strange dreams featuring Kakyoin. Of course, he had never told anyone about them.

"Jotaro-kun," Kakyoin said after a long silence. "May I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

Kakyoin's slender hands shifted in his lap, tightening in a self-comforting gesture. "Do you think…Polnareff is happier?" As if it was difficult for him to finish that thought, he continued at a much lower volume, "…without me, I mean?"

Jotaro's answer to that question stuck in his throat. Honestly, from what he could see, nothing could be further from the truth. The reason Polnareff was rejecting Kakyoin now was precisely because he still loved him. He didn't want Kakyoin to feel guilty for not returning his feelings. Of course, rather than expressing all of this, Jotaro assumed Kakyoin knew it already and was just asking to clear the air. He let it hang.

"Ah…I don't mean that as a reproach," Kakyoin added quickly. He forced a smile which made a rivulet of pain crack down Jotaro's chest just from watching him. "You were right. You were right to stop us. Truly…I never deserved him from the start."

Jotaro sighed. What a load of shit, he thought. It was typical of Kakyoin to overthink and fail to recognize the true problem. "Don't ask a question if you won't like the answer," he said, failing completely to assuage Kakyoin's concerns.

Kakyoin's lips parted in an obvious expression of poorly concealed pain. Jotaro's jaw tightened. In Kakyoin's case in particular, he was always saying something that unintentionally hurt others. He didn't know why those close to him always seemed to doubt that he cared about them. He (mistakenly) believed his affection was obvious on his face.

"Yes," Kakyoin replied almost inaudibly. "I'm sorry."

"Do your eyes hurt?" Jotaro changed the subject.

"A little," Kakyoin murmured. "But they say the cornea is intact, so that's a relief. I just need to rest for a few days. Then I can fight with all of you again."

Jotaro nodded. "We need all the help we can get to face Dio."

"Is there any news of Holly-san?" Kakyoin asked.

Jotaro's chest twinged again at the mention of his mother, who to all reports was very near death at this moment. He didn't really want to talk about it, but it would be easier to get this conversation over with quickly. "No change," he said simply.

"I'm sorry," Kakyoin murmured. He opened his mouth as if he would speak, but stopped himself quickly. His brows tightened as if he was struggling to come to terms with something. "Jojo…"

"Hm?"

"Thinking back on when we first met…I was very lucky you didn't kill me," he said with a forced laugh.

Jotaro allowed himself a small scoff and a smirk. "I guess so."

"I just wasn't formidable enough?"

Jotaro frowned. "You want to know why I didn't kill you?" Kakyoin nodded. "I don't know," Jotaro lied blatantly. Especially after what had happened, he would rather die than tell his friend that he spared his life because he thought he was too beautiful to kill. "It seemed weird to kill another student from the same school," he muttered, partly just thinking aloud. "You could have given us information about Dio too."

Kakyoin laughed softly again. "Would that I could." After another pause, again squeezing his own hands as if nervous, he spoke again. "Even without a stand power…Dio killed your great grandfather, didn't he?"

"I guess. I wasn't there."

"Heh," Kakyoin chuckled. But his smile this time was short-lived. "The only thing we know about Dio…is that he's capable of enslaving anyone he chooses. Either by force or through sheer power of will. Thinking about it like that…he's already defeated two of us."

Jotaro shrugged. "You could count Abdul too. He turned tail when he saw him."

"Doesn't that frighten you?"

Jotaro sighed. "I'd be stupid if it didn't. It doesn't change anything about what we have to do."

Even with the bandages covering his damaged eyes, Jotaro felt as if Kakyoin were looking straight at him. A divine smile crossed his face and Jotaro pretended his heart didn't ache to see it. "That's what I love about you," he murmured.

Jotaro's heart pounded. Had he understood that correctly? He wasn't much of a one for subtext, but there weren't very many interpretations of that particular turn of phrase. It had never occurred to him until this moment that the one Kakyoin loved, the one he had been pining over so badly he turned to Polnareff for relief, might be himself. Half of him still rejected this idea out of hand. He didn't know why, he just thought somehow it was impossible that someone so beautiful would be interested in him. But…it was always possible that he meant it in a platonic way.

As Jotaro's mind struggled with this problem, Kakyoin seemed to be searching the atmosphere around him. "What expression are you making now, Jotaro?" Kakyoin asked softly.

Suddenly, Hierophant Green materialized right before Jotaro's face, crouched down on the floor in front of him to peer up closely with its green, insect-like eyes. Jotaro blinked down at it, feeling Kakyoin's presence there. His surprise at seeing it meant he had no chance to attempt to hide whatever expression was on his face.

"Ah…that kind of face."

Jotaro's gaze flicked up to Kakyoin as his pulse heightened. For no reason he could tell, looking at Kakyoin right now made fear rise up from the pit of his stomach. He couldn't identify it, but he didn't want to feel this way. He opened his mouth, about to ask what expression he had been making just now. But that fear rose up again, and he decided he didn't want to know.

"I need a smoke."

Without another word, Jotaro strode out of Kakyoin's hospital room. Breathing hard, he didn't stop until he was outside with a lit cigarette in his mouth. He took a long drag. Shit, he thought. That was close.

Close to what, you sick fucker? asked another part of himself. He shook his head of whatever thought had just occurred to him. He didn't want to think about this. Alarm bells were going off in his head, telling him he was about to go down a road for which there was no turning back. Admit it now, said an instinctive part of himself, and it will change you for good.

That was the rational part of him. Yet as he stood there, thinking back over Kakyoin's words, his forced smiles and pained silences, the way he clasped his hands in his lap, and the sound of his voice…without a reason, Jotaro felt heat building inside his body. It was happiness. A strange kind of nervous happiness, and he didn't know why. He smoked there in silence, hoping it would fade before he was forced to consider the thrill of desire that lay beneath it.

That night, he tossed and turned a lot trying to sleep. When he finally did, it was to a dream so real he wasn't sure he was really asleep. Kakyoin was standing before him, clinging to his chest. Without thinking, Jotaro surrounded him in his arms, sensing he needed reassurance but not knowing why.

"I couldn't tell you," Kakyoin was saying, sounding on the verge of tears. "I was sure you'd hate me."

"As if. Why would you think that?" Jotaro murmured in reply. In dreams, he tended to speak much more honestly than in reality.

Kakyoin seemed to struggle to find the right words. As Jotaro looked closely down at him, a tear rolled down Kakyoin's tragically beautiful face. "You were so disgusted when you caught me with Polnareff…" he whispered.

In a move he would never do in reality, Jotaro tilted up Kakyoin's face and wiped away his tear with his thumb. "Don't cry. I hate it when you cry."

Kakyoin chuckled, though he was still crying a little. "Why is that?"

Jotaro wondered that himself as he brushed another tear from Kakyoin's cheek and Kakyoin leaned slightly into his touch, causing his heart to skip a beat. "I don't know. Like seeing the ocean when it rains. Making a beautiful thing sad. I can't stand that."

"Am I beautiful?" Kakyoin asked him in surprise.

"Don't you know that?"

The smaller man shook his head. "You'd be the first to think so," he said with a self-deprecating smile.

"Definitely not," Jotaro said. With that, and again not knowing why he was behaving this way himself, the next tear to run down Kakyoin's face, he kissed away. Kakyoin sobbed for some reason, but kept his eyes closed and face turned up, which seemed to encourage Jotaro to continue this strangely intimate behavior. He continued kissing Kakyoin's face as a painfully tight and yet pleasant sensation rose in his chest.

He didn't even question what he was doing as he pulled Kakyoin closer to him, kissing his neck as he ran one hand possessively down his back. He caressed Kakyoin's ass and pulled it against him, which caused his own rapidly hardening cock to rub against Kakyoin's.

When Kakyoin let out a sweet gasp, Jotaro immediately had the urge to taste it. He tilted Kakyoin's head back and drove his tongue inside his mouth. There was a fire burning in him and every gasp, every touch of Kakyoin's skin only made it burn harder. Kakyoin couldn't keep still in his arms, his hips alternately brushing up to Jotaro's and shying away as his back arched in pleasure. Jotaro had no idea what he was doing as he followed his desire to free both his own and Kakyoin's cocks and grasp them tightly together.

Kakyoin was becoming limp with pleasure in his arms, having to be held up by Jotaro's arm around the small of his back. His hands gripped the fabric of Jotaro's shirt, the feeling of his fingers now and then biting into the skin of his chest only exciting Jotaro further.

Because it was a dream, suddenly they were immediately filling Jotaro's next desire. Jotaro had never actually had sex before, but he had no doubt about exactly what he wanted to do with Kakyoin. They were in bed together, and Kakyoin was impatiently waiting for Jotaro to satisfy him inside and out. Jotaro grasped him by his hips and thrust as deep as he could inside him.

Kakyoin's voice rang out in an agonized cry of pleasure. Jotaro couldn't stop. He pounded Kakyoin into the bed, claiming him. He couldn't say a word anymore, but he silently promised to mark every inch of him, painting his insides with proof of his affection. Jotaro came to Kakyoin's imagined voice of pleasure in his ears, the imagined temperature inside his body, and his imagined passionate clinging onto Jotaro's back. He cried out Kakyoin's name as his dream slowly faded.

The next morning, Jotaro groaned lowly as he blinked at the piercing sunlight. He felt as if he had barely slept at all. By the next bed over, Polnareff was quickly and silently getting dressed.

When he noticed Jotaro was awake, Polnareff quickly looked away with a blush. "I didn't hear anything!" he said, sounding far too innocent.

Jotaro narrowed his eyes, at first thinking it was just Polnareff being weird as usual. Then he looked down at his own body, where his damp underwear were still sporting morning wood. His jaw tightened until he thought his teeth would crack.

He swept out of bed. "Shower," he barked, stalking out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

If only he had known what would happen just a few days later. He would never have settled for the ephemeral happiness of a dream.


	6. Chapter 6

(WARNING: Once again, MAJOR spoilers ahead for the Stardust Crusaders arc.)

Chapter Six

The battle with Dio was even more grueling than Jotaro had been expecting. And at the end of it, he got a piece of news that he had not prepared for. Iggy. Abdul. And Kakyoin. All had fallen in Dio's wake. As the sun slowly brightened the city of Cairo around them, Jotaro's relief at being able to save his mother and grandfather faded as the three surviving members of their party looked pointedly at anything but each other.

Iggy's death had been a cruel one; kicked until his own bones had ripped him apart. To everyone's surprise, his last act had been to save Polnareff's life. For that reason as well as the reason Jotaro was currently still in shock, Polnareff hadn't stopped crying all morning.

The same asshole who killed Iggy also killed Abdul. It was all over in an instant. Polnareff's body still showed the damage of his stand's impossibly cruel attack, which could eat like a black hole any matter it passed through. Abdul too had used his last moments to give Polnareff a chance to run. And luckily their combined sacrifice allowed him enough time to figure out Vanilla Ice's vulnerability to sunlight.

But as far as Jotaro was concerned, the cruelest and hardest to understand of the deaths of his friends was Kakyoin's. It had been explained to him. He understood the order of events. But not why it had happened. Kakyoin's death hadn't meant anything. Unlike Iggy and Abdul, the one thing he had been able to achieve with his death was to give the others a hint about Dio's powers. Had those few seconds of an advantage really been worth his life? Jotaro's anger built as he realized Kakyoin had always felt a lot of guilt about being unable to provide details about Dio's power even after being enslaved by him. He had intentionally put himself in danger in order to test Dio's abilities, to make himself useful. Jotaro couldn't forgive him for that.

Jotaro spent days and weeks, and eventually years being unable to move past what had happened. His life more or less returned to normal when he got back to Japan. He finished high school and entered college, then graduate school. During his research, he traveled to America, staying with the old man. While there, he met someone who made him very happy. They got married. They had a daughter. They were so happy together, it didn't feel real. Their little girl was so beautiful that Jotaro named her after his favorite song. But as with anyone he cared about, the happier he was with them, the more fear he felt about hurting or losing them.

As time went on, Jotaro spent less and less time at home. After a few encounters with stand users that came too close to home, Jotaro became convinced he couldn't keep this up. He divorced from his wife when Jolyne was five. Even as he thought he was protecting them, he did not think at the time what it would feel like for a young girl to be abandoned by her father.

But in reality, keeping them safe was just a pretense. What had happened with Kakyoin had instilled in Jotaro one of his rare weak points psychologically. An irrational belief that if he loved someone, they would die. It hadn't taken him long after the battle with Dio to realize he had been in love with Kakyoin, possibly from the start. He told himself it didn't change anything. He would never have acted on those feelings. He couldn't have saved Kakyoin anyway. Life was just like that. But at the core of all this rationalization was a small voice telling him that because of the kind of person he was, he didn't deserve to be happy.

Not long after that, the old man discovered that an affair he had had with a Japanese student of his – while in his 60s – had born fruit. That fruit being a young man named Higashikata Josuke. Jotaro had never seen Grandma Suzie so spitting mad.

It was around the same time that he started to be aware of mysterious reports coming from the town where his grandfather's progeny lived. There seemed to be more than the usual concentration of stand-related incidents. Possibly, there was another malevolent force like Dio that was creating a higher density of stand users. Since Jotaro had plenty of research he could conduct in Japan anyway, he felt he was the person best suited to determine what was happening in the little town of Morio.

But it was not until long after the incident with the Nijimura brothers that Jotaro felt a glimmer of hope that he might actually change his stars.

"Jotaro-san, Jotaro-san!"

Jotaro turned at the sound of Josuke's voice and jogging feet approaching. His young, yankee uncle waved joyfully at him. "Afternoon," he said respectfully. "Jotaro-san, I did something really cool. You've gotta come see."

"What is it?" Jotaro asked with suspicion. He didn't doubt Josuke's abilities, but his sense of what constituted "cool" didn't always match with Jotaro's.

"Aw, don't be stingy! Come on!"

Josuke dragged him along to a hospital of all places. And then bizarrely, to a room with a weak-looking, middle-aged man that Jotaro had never seen before. Also present in this room, for whatever reason, were Hirose Koichi and Nijimura Okuyasu. Jotaro waited for someone to explain to him what was going on.

Okuyasu jumped to his feet when Jotaro entered. "Jotaro-san…thank you for coming," he said with a strange look of grim, hesitant happiness. Casting his eyes down as if in embarrassment, he gestured behind him at the man in the bed. "This is…my old man. Nijimura Mansaku."

The man in the bed smiled weakly. "N-…nice to m-meet you," he said with difficulty. Even his tongue seemed weak.

Jotaro stood dumbfounded. The last time he had seen Nijimura Mansaku, he had been a monster robbed of his body and mind by Dio's cells in his body. If the two were ever separated, he should have died instantly. This should be impossible.

Jotaro cast an accusing look at Josuke, who stood beaming at him like a third grader who'd won a science contest. "Pretty good, right Jotaro-san?"

"Explain yourself," Jotaro growled, in no mood for humoring his young uncle with the praise he was clearly searching for.

But Josuke was too pleased with himself to be brought down by Jotaro's mood. "It's good, right? I assumed Crazy Diamond wouldn't be able to fix Nijimura-san, because his and Dio's cells were fused together. It's not easy, but I realized if I concentrate I can divide cells and put them back together. Not fast either. Took about an hour. Slept for a day and a half after. But look! Nijimura-san's all better!"

"Th-…thank you…so much…J-…J-Josuke-kun," said Nijimura-san, smiling weakly.

Jotaro still couldn't fully grasp it, except to once again be impressed with young Josuke. He sighed. "Congratulations," he said simply.

"Thanks!" Josuke accepted the encouragement that was meant for Nijimura-san.

Jotaro rounded a glare at Josuke. After a moment, he gestured toward the door. "Walk with me for a moment," he said.

A twinkle of light was flickering in the depths of Jotaro's chest. He didn't want to get his hopes up. But he couldn't just let it die either. When he and Josuke had gotten some distance away from the room, he asked him, "How did you distinguish between Nijimura's cells and Dio's?"

Josuke pondered this, scratching his cheek. "Um…I don't know. The same way I can distinguish between flesh and clothing I guess?"

Jotaro accepted that answer after a moment of thought. After all, he had repeatedly seen Josuke heal people and their clothing at the same time. Crazy Diamond was able to heal any injury as long as the host wasn't completely dead. That meant that Crazy Diamond could tell apart and restore all sorts of different cells and body parts. If any part of the host still had life, like Okuyasu's severed arm after fighting Red Hot Chili Pepper, Crazy Diamond could restore their whole body. Somehow that was how Josuke must have extracted Nijimura's healthy cells from Dio's corrupted ones.

"What happened to Dio's cells after you separated them?" he asked.

"Burned up into dust as soon as they hit the light coming through the window," Josuke answered.

Well that was a relief. The last thing Jotaro or this town needed was a Dio resurrection to worry about. "Good. But I'm still confused. In the first place, I've said this before, but Dio dying should have killed anyone who had a flesh bud inside them. Nijimura should never have survived that stage."

Josuke hesitantly nodded, not really understanding that either.

"Josuke," Jotaro questioned him seriously. "What is your theory on how any part of Nijimura was able to stay alive through that?"

Josuke shook his head. "His cells fused with Dio's, didn't they?"

"At best, that should have made him a vampire," Jotaro answered, beginning to grow annoyed with the lack of logical answers to his own questions. "Dio's cells were never alive to begin with. The fact of his dying should have caused those cells to either decay or go on a rampage through his body, either killing him instantly or giving him artificial life like Dio's. Which would make him a vampire. Which would also make him dead. No matter what, it shouldn't have been possible for you to extract any living information from Nijimura Mansaku."

Josuke seemed entirely put upon by this line of questioning and laughed hesitantly. He shrugged. "Don't know what to tell you, Jotaro-san. Maybe Nijimura-san is just special. Or maybe Dio's cells would do that to anyone after he was dead. Who knows? But anyway, let's be happy for Okuyasu! Right?"

For many reasons, that was not good enough for Jotaro. For one thing, this meant that there was a possibility that more of Dio's servants were still alive, and anyone with powers similar to Jotaro's could heal them. If they did so at night, there was even a possibility of reviving Dio's "living" cells. But before all of that, there was one thing he had to know.

"Come with me," he said, striding out of the hospital and expecting Josuke to follow.

"Jotaro-san…?" Josuke asked, jogging after him. "What's going on?"

"I need you to do me a favor," Jotaro said grimly. "I need you to see if you can find a part of my friend that's still living."

Josuke looked rightly horrified. He didn't answer even as they got in a cab together and started heading for Jotaro's home town.

"Jotaro-san…" Josuke said hesitantly as they got on the freeway. "Is your friend…"

"Yes, he's dead."

Josuke physically recoiled to the other side of the cab. With his arms in an awkward posture as if to protect himself from evil spirits, he asked in a shaking voice, "For…how long?"

"Ten years."

Josuke let out a yelp as if he'd been pinched. "Jotaro-san, be real! Best case scenario, the guy's ash or worm food now! There can't be anything left alive of him!"

"I preserved him."

"EH?!"

Jotaro sighed. He really didn't like revealing something he knew was not only shameful and very strange, but also very hard to explain. Especially to someone younger. "Many reasons I have to feel sorry to Kakyoin Noriaki's parents," he said soberly. "But the worst thing I ever did was lie about cremating their son." After a moment, sensing Josuke's question, he admitted, "I had him frozen. I had my reasons."

Josuke was now pale and sweating, looking at Jotaro like he was an ax murderer. "Listen…Jotaro-san…the thing is…I'm not good with dead bodies. I'm feeling a little under the weather, like…my nose feels loose. My knees are all jangly, and I think my head's not on straight…maybe it's better to not-"

"Try it. And then you can go home." Jotaro rounded a stony glare at his uncle. "Not before."

Josuke promptly shut up, shaking and sweating silently during the rest of the cab journey. Jotaro gave the driver directions to the cryogenics lab which had preserved Kakyoin's body at his request. Once there, the staff guided an emotionless Jotaro and a physically shaking Josuke to the sealed container inside which Kakyoin Noriaki lay like Snow White, perfectly preserved as if he were merely sleeping. Even the terrified Josuke was somewhat moved by the sight of him.

As soon as the staff member was out of sight, Jotaro gestured to his friend's body. "Do it."

Josuke hesitated. "I don't know…Jotaro-san, I don't want you to get your hopes up. This isn't like Nijimura-san. It's been so long, and the number of Dio's cells is much smaller, and this wound-"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Josuke didn't need any more encouragement than that. "Crazy Diamond," he said, and his stand appeared behind him. "Let's do this. _Dora, dora, dora dora dora dora doradoradoradoradora_!"

Crazy Diamond punched Kakyoin's body at a progressively faster pace until his fists were just a blur. The punches were so fast that they were melting the ice around him. Jotaro steadied his own breathing, trying to remain calm. Even if this were successful, it would be a long wait.

Jotaro expected Josuke to stop if he realized something was wrong or nothing was happening. But the minutes went on, and Josuke kept punching. Josuke was sweating profusely, his breath becoming ragged and eyelids drooping. After a while, Jotaro realized he would have to steady him because it was taking too much energy to stand. Still Josuke continued his efforts. And as Jotaro watched, something amazing was happening.

The color began to return to Kakyoin's dead white skin. First his cheeks and then his lips took on a faint pink. The cavity in his stomach – which even a new uniform that Jotaro had purchased for him failed to completely conceal – began to fill itself in. Finally, well over an hour after he had started, Crazy Diamond stopped punching.

Though Josuke was barely conscious at this point, Jotaro watched without being able to draw a full breath. A lifetime of seconds passed. And then, Kakyoin's chest rose with breath. And fell. Rose. And fell. Along with his regular breathing, a living pulse ran up his neck. Jotaro almost passed out.

Instead, he murmured softly, "Star Platinum."

Firstly, Jotaro had Star Platinum quickly gather the quivering lump of Dio's cells which Crazy Diamond had expelled from Kakyoin's body into a glass vial, which he then put in his pocket to dispose of later. Then they both turned to stare at the softly breathing Kakyoin.

Somehow, although it would have appeared less strange to anyone who might have seen if he had chosen to carry Kakyoin himself and let Star Platinum help Josuke, Jotaro couldn't work up the nerve to touch Kakyoin himself. Star Platinum gently lifted the beautiful creature from the bed of ice and held him close in his arms. His soft breathing continued, and Jotaro felt his heart about to burst.

"Keep it together, Josuke," Jotaro told him softly. "You just performed a miracle."

After taking Josuke back to his own home, Jotaro brought Kakyoin back to his apartment in Morio. He had a limited amount of medical equipment there and he did everything he could to keep an eye on Kakyoin's vitals and watch him around the clock. And most of all, he tried to stay calm as he feared his heart might explode. Josuke had done the impossible. Kakyoin was alive.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Jotaro stayed by Kakyoin's bedside as long as he could, essentially only leaving to use the restroom or restlessly pace his own living room. He ended up losing two nights of sleep and he didn't know how many proper meals. On the third night, he was drowsily staring at nothing, his eyelids getting heavy, when he was alerted by an increase in Kakyoin's breathing.

Jotaro sat up bolt upright, watching closely to make sure nothing was wrong. Kakyoin's face – exactly as Jotaro had remembered it – now and then furrowed with a frown of fear or pain even as he still slept. He gradually began to toss and turn in his bed. Jotaro would normally try to wake him, since he was clearly having a nightmare, but there was no way to predict how Kakyoin's mind would react to what had happened to him. He had to reduce any shocks as much as possible.

But the nightmare was clearly getting more intense. Even as Jotaro was ecstatic that Kakyoin was moving just like a normal, living human, suddenly the teenager let out a strangled cry and shot half out of bed. He was dripping with sweat.

"Kakyoin…" Jotaro said softly.

He badly wanted to embrace him, to reassure him that everything was all right. But it was paramount not to overstimulate him. The one small solace he had was that perhaps seeing him might give Kakyoin a sense of peace and safety. And he couldn't stop himself from hoping that perhaps, he had been right about his hunch. If he thought about the idea that Kakyoin loved him, Jotaro's chest felt so full he couldn't imagine anything past that.

Kakyoin's eyes gradually shifted up to meet Jotaro's. Jotaro's heart pounded. Here he was. Alive. Just as he had been. It should be impossible. Life had taught Jotaro that these kinds of miracles didn't happen. Something always got in the way. Something always went wrong, especially when your hopes were high. And yet here he was, and if Jotaro had any say in it, here he would remain.

But even after meeting his own gaze, there was no change in Kakyoin's eyes as he watched him. In fact, they searched him curiously. Pain streaked the space between Kakyoin's brows and he lowered his gaze for a moment.

"I'm sorry…I know you, don't I?"

Jotaro couldn't move for a long few seconds. Each breath became hard to draw in, as if there were needles in his lungs. He couldn't imagine what kind of facial expression he was making at that moment, because his face felt numb. But some part of him was fortunately aware enough that he knew he had to keep Kakyoin from any shocks for a while.

He nodded stiffly. "We were at school together," he managed to answer, though he was surprised at his own ability to speak. It was technically true, although their mutual attending of that school had lasted less than one day.

"Ah…" Kakyoin murmured, though he eyed Jotaro dubiously, no doubt noticing a discrepancy in their ages. "Um…?"

Jotaro's throat again felt blocked up. He couldn't answer at first. He couldn't bear the idea of introducing himself to the one he had loved and mourned for so many years, the existence that loomed so large in his heart. It felt like erasing everything they had been through. Think of Kakyoin, he reminded himself. No shocks. Play along.

"Kujo Jotaro," he murmured.

"Kujo-san," Kakyoin repeated politely. His eyes turned to the bed before him and he was silent for a while. Whether he was aware of it or not, his hand reached up to gingerly touch his own stomach with a look of distant fear in his face.

"How do you feel?" Jotaro asked him, trying to keep him focused on the present.

"Good…a little tired…" Kakyoin answered. There was a question in his voice, but he didn't direct it at Jotaro. He was obviously curious about why he was here and what had happened to him, but perhaps his own mind was protecting him by not trying too hard to find those things out.

"You know who you are?" Jotaro asked him gently. "Your age? Where you're from?"

Kakyoin considered for a moment. "I know I am Kakyoin Noriaki. I'm 18 years old. I'm from Kubota,

Yoshimi-cho, Saitama. I…can't place it but…I can feel something missing…something important…"

Jotaro now had to worry about his own mental state. The more he heard, the more his heart began to sink. "Something that should be there, but isn't anymore?" he confirmed softly.

Kakyoin frowned at him in surprise. But he nodded. "Yes. Exactly."

Jotaro kept his gaze on the floor in front of him. Nothing could have prepared him for this. It seemed preposterous to consider what he was considering, but then he was technically talking to a zombie right now. It should be impossible that cells could contain any form of memory. Perhaps not entirely impossible for cells like Dio's. What young Josuke had managed to do was utterly unbelievable. A qualifiable miracle. But it might not be perfect. He had expelled all traces of Dio from Kakyoin's body. But with it, that process might have taken memories too. Which might mean that everything from the moment he met Dio – and therefore Jotaro – was now gone. If any part of that had been conscious on the part of Dio's cells, this might be Dio's final revenge.

"I'm sorry but…may I ask what happened to me?"

Jotaro was pulled from his dark musings by Kakyoin's soft question. In all the time he had spent considering how to answer that question as he waited for Kakyoin to wake, he had not prepared an answer for an innocent boy who had no idea he had agreed to risk his life for anyone. Jotaro lowered his gaze until his hat concealed his eyes as he formed a response.

"It's probably best to wait until you're feeling better to talk about it," Jotaro muttered.

"I'm fine," Kakyoin said firmly. Jotaro glanced up at him to confirm that, in spite of having woken up from a nightmare, Kakyoin's eyes now were strong and determined. "Please. I'm worried about my family."

Jotaro lowered his gaze again, feeling like each part of his body was made of glass that was progressively cracking apart. That was yet another topic that he had prepared an answer for, but only if Kakyoin remembered what had happened to him. Without Kakyoin's permission, he could never explain the fact that his parents had believed him to be dead for the last ten years, and there was no way he could see them again without likely driving them to insanity.

He chose to broach this subject the softest way he could think of. "You…have been sick for a long time."

Kakyoin's expression tightened. He shifted on the bed, turning toward Jotaro to square him down seriously. "How long…?" he murmured.

"Years."

"Ye-…" Kakyion started to repeat, before his throat closed up in shock. He panted, searching the space before him meaninglessly. "How many years?" he asked at a much higher volume, anger rising in his voice.

Jotaro looked away from him. "You got sick in 1989. Does that sound right?"

"Yes…"

"…in three months it will be the year 2000."

All color promptly drained from Kakyoin's face. "That's impossible."

Jotaro nodded. "Yes. But it's true."

"But…I…who are you?!" Kakyoin demanded, throwing off the blanket on top of him. "You're not a doctor! This isn't a hospital! Where am I?! Why don't I know you?! Why can't I remember what happened to me?!"

To these questions, Jotaro had no answers. He would think of something to say but his mouth felt glued shut. He could barely move at all. He wondered how much more of this torture he would have to endure.

"Did you kidnap me…?!" Kakyoin hissed, recoiling with this sudden realization.

Jotaro felt as if he were slowly turning to stone. But before he shut down completely, he had to assuage Kakyoin's concerns. Or so he thought. But then he realized, they weren't far off. As soon as Kakyoin had lost his memory, Jotaro lost any possible expectation that he could predict what he wanted. Suddenly they were in a situation where he had stolen Kakyoin's body from his family, kept him in secret for ten years and with no intention of giving him back his autonomy.

"That…was not my intention," he said. That was honestly the best he could do. "I did…take care of you, without your permission. Or your parents."

"You bastard…do they even know I'm alive?" Kakyoin whispered.

Jotaro slowly shook his head.

"Oh god…" Kakyoin murmured, holding his head in his hands.

Jotaro couldn't think of anything to say that would make this any better. He pushed himself to his feet and turned away, about to leave but he stopped himself. "Wait here," he said, not that it looked like Kakyoin was going anywhere.

Jotaro left the room to the kitchen. He had a few things ready, suspecting Kakyoin would be very hungry when he woke, and he quickly prepared a salad to go with the rice and miso soup he had on hand. He carried these things on a tray into the living room where Kakyoin was. He placed them on the table before the bed. Beside these things, he put his wallet and keys. After a moment of thought, he put his cell phone beside them as well.

Without looking at Kakyoin, he straightened, observing this arrangement of objects on the table as if they were strange even to himself. "I'm sorry for my part in what has happened to you," he said sincerely. "Once you've eaten that, you can go or stay. It's up to you. I'll be upstairs if you need anything."

So saying, he managed to carry his heavy-feeling body up the stairs and to his own bed. He lay there, staring up at the ceiling and wishing he really could turn to stone. If Kakyoin had come back to life only to hate Jotaro, that would be fate's cruelest trick. And yet, as far as Jotaro


End file.
